Vitebsk – city-crossroads. This is the whole story. Who not only stayed here! Great people of all ages and from Princess Olga to Marc Chagall. In the old days the city was at the crossroads of trade routes, now is a cultural crossroads, where every year in July to face talented young people. Each of them leaves in Vitebsk part of himself and his heart. Like most Belarusian cities of Vitebsk was built at the confluence of two rivers – the Western Dvina and Vitba, from which the town got its name. The official date of Foundation of the Belarusian North of the capital is 974. According to legend, the Grand Duchess Olga rode the shore of the Western Dvina and established place of graveyards, where they collected tribute. The beauty of the landscape so impressed the Princess that she exclaimed: "Oh, here is city Vitebsk!".

The location of the city was extremely successful – he stood at the crossroads of major trade routes. One was called "from the Varangians to the Greeks" and the other Volzhsky (Bulgar). This has contributed to the economic growth of Vitebsk, which became the center of an independent Principality, obeying Polotsk, a sometimes and Smolensk princes. Here rapidly developed trade and crafts. It is significant that already in the XII century there was built the first stone Church – the Orthodox Holy Annunciation Church. History independent principalities ended in 1318 when the daughter of the last Prince Yaroslav Vasilyevich Maria married Prince Olgerd, son of Grand Duke of Lithuania Gediminas. Vitebsk Principality became part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. With 1506 Vitebsk became the center of Vitebsk province of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and from 1569 – Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. At the end of XVI century there was another very important event for the city – he gets the Magdeburg law. In Vitebsk erected a wooden town hall – a symbol of self-government. However, in 1623, the city is deprived of the right to self-government due to an uprising of citizens, and the town hall is destroyed. But in 1644 the Vitebsk once again received the Magdeburg right.

Advantageous position leads to the fact that the city is constantly under attack, destroyed. In the XIV - beginning of XV century it became an arena for infighting Dukes Vytautas and Svidrigaylo. In the XVI-XVII centuries, suffering from the wars between Moscow and the Commonwealth. In 1708, Peter I ordered to burn the city, because Vitebsk to know provided financial support to the Swedes during the Northern war. The city suffered during the war of 1812.

In 1792, Vitebsk became part of the Russian Empire and becomes the center of Belarus, a since 1802 – Vitebsk province. Since the second half of the XIX century, the city starts flourishing. Here schools, libraries, industrial enterprises. In 1866, the city opened railway. In 1895, Vitebsk citizen could boast of 2 theatres, 8 bookstores, 4 libraries. In addition, there were 3 printing and about 80 industrial plants.

In 1918, Vitebsk became part of the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic, and then the Belarussian Soviet Socialist Republic. From 1938, he became the regional center. The years of the great Patriotic war, it became incredibly heavy for the city. Liberated from the Germans Vitebsk lay in ruins, but survived only 118 people from 167,3 thousand. Almost 93% of the housing was destroyed. The city revived from the ashes in the truest sense of the word.

Today Vitebsk – a beautiful modern city that combines old and new, past and future. Here are built the Ice sports Palace, was reconstructed Central Stadium, the Summer amphitheater and the train station.

Governor's Palace – one of the most beautiful buildings in the old Vitebsk. It is located on the high coast of the Western Dvina river and is a classic example of Russian architecture. This Palace remember not one important event, among which was the 43 birthday of Napoleon.